Demo's Or Not Demo's

[Gogger]

hi , i have a few records with demonstration copy not for sale stamped on them or a sticker with simular things on them , whats the story with these , thanks in advance john.

[Pete S]

hi , i have a few records with demonstration copy not for sale stamped on them or a sticker with simular things on them , whats the story with these , thanks in advance john.

 

I'd have thought they were handed out to reps etc and had to have those stickers slapped on to stop the shops selling them.  I don't think these sticker demos should ever be classed as proper demos when a red and white etc exists.  Hundreds of fake ones on Ebay as well.

[Gogger]

I'd have thought they were handed out to reps etc and had to have those stickers slapped on to stop the shops selling them.  I don't think these sticker demos should ever be classed as proper demos when a red and white etc exists.  Hundreds of fake ones on Ebay as well.

thanks pete , was thinking along those lines , just wasn't sure , thanks again

[Swifty]

Made my self a handstamp once with 'DEMO - Not For Sale' on it and do you know what my small collection at the time were all Demos , including LPs and anything else I could stamp , even had a demo Dog   Things you used to do eh!

 

Swifty

[Premium Stuff]

My take on this is that they were probably handed out quite widely to reps, radio stations and probably even to record shops as play copies in store.

 

As Peter says, the idea was to demonstrate or promote the record, but not to allow re-sale.

 

There are two types we are talking about here:

 

1. Sticker demos - with a paper sticker on the label with something printed on it such as "Demonstration Copy Not For Sale". Basically an issue copy with a sticker on. These were used quite widely, but Ric-Tic and Golden World are good examples of labels that used them quite a bit.
    
2. Hand-stamped demos - just like using Swifty's technique of a hand-stamp and ink, stamped onto the label saying something like "D.J. Copy" (like on the D-Town and Wheelsville USA labels) or "DJ" (like on Thelma). Again, basically issues but with a hand stamp.

I like both and collect both. There may be some fakes, but many are definite originals and as far as I'm concerned they are proper demos - even if a white label format exists also.

 

An example is Tony Clarke - (They Call Me) A Wrong Man (M-S). This is available as an issue, a sticker demo and a white demo. Another example is Dee Edwards - All The Way Home (D-Town) which is on a yellow issue, a hand-stamped DJ copy, and a white demo. A third example is J.J. Barnes - Please Let Me In (Ric-Tic) which is on a red issue, a sticker demo and a white demo.

 

All these types of sticker and hand-stamped demos are legit and collectable in my view. Like everything else, you need to know what you're looking for and to learn to spot a fake.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[Soulhawk1960]

Made my self a handstamp once with 'DEMO - Not For Sale' on it and do you know what my small collection at the time were all Demos , including LPs and anything else I could stamp , even had a demo Dog   Things you used to do eh!

 

Swifty

I'd have stamped me tink   

[Pete S]

My take on this is that they were probably handed out quite widely to reps, radio stations and probably even to record shops as play copies in store.

 

As Peter says, the idea was to demonstrate or promote the record, but not to allow re-sale.

 

There are two types we are talking about here:

 

1. Sticker demos - with a paper sticker on the label with something printed on it such as "Demonstration Copy Not For Sale". Basically an issue copy with a sticker on. These were used quite widely, but Ric-Tic and Golden World are good examples of labels that used them quite a bit.

    

2. Hand-stamped demos - just like using Swifty's technique of a hand-stamp and ink, stamped onto the label saying something like "D.J. Copy" (like on the D-Town and Wheelsville USA labels) or "DJ" (like on Thelma). Again, basically issues but with a hand stamp.

I like both and collect both. There may be some fakes, but many are definite originals and as far as I'm concerned they are proper demos - even if a white label format exists also.

 

An example is Tony Clarke - (They Call Me) A Wrong Man (M-S). This is available as an issue, a sticker demo and a white demo. Another example is Dee Edwards - All The Way Home (D-Town) which is on a yellow issue, a hand-stamped DJ copy, and a white demo. A third example is J.J. Barnes - Please Let Me In (Ric-Tic) which is on a red issue, a sticker demo and a white demo.

 

All these types of sticker and hand-stamped demos are legit and collectable in my view. Like everything else, you need to know what you're looking for and to learn to spot a fake.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

 

When I was referring to counterfeits Richard, I was thinking of UK releases, Beatles etc.

[Swifty]

Like the Promotional stickers , had a few but one I seem to remember was "Spin it for me - Buddy Dee Universal" or summats like that?

 

 

Swifty

[Cunnie]

Had several albums with stamped covers. A lot of them were just issue's inside the cover & were normally stamped in gold ink.

[Mr Smithy]

Got a few but I never saw one quite as big as this.
Also in this case and other pretty much private presses, makes you wonder why they bother.
Probably pressed 250 / 500 and probably either gave most away to friends or they sat in boxes going nowhere anyway.

That's till x years later when they became monsters, or not, as in this case

[Premium Stuff]

When I was referring to counterfeits Richard, I was thinking of UK releases, Beatles etc.

 

Got your drift Pete 

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[dthedrug]

 HI ALL....Like Pete I assumed you were talking about UK DEMOS, any UK item that is a stock copy with a sticker on saying FACTORY COOPY or SAMPLE COPY does not make it a DEMO nor does the RCA A sticker on GRAPEVINE Records, as they can be peeled from any other crap record and simply stuck on, it's a shame and I have seen many grapevine 45s sell for more just because they have the A sticker on them.

As for US records  RIC -TIC BLUE LABLE demos have promotion not for sale in small writing on what looks like a stock copy. :thumbsup:DAVE K           

Edited October 9, 2013 by dthedrug

[Guest MrC]

 HI ALL....Like Pete I assumed you were talking about UK DEMOS, any UK item that is a stock copy with a sticker on saying FACTORY COOPY or SAMPLE COPY does not make it a DEMO nor does the RCA A sticker on GRAPEVINE Records, as they can be peeled from any other crap record and simply stuck on, it's a shame and I have seen many grapevine 45s sell for more just because they have the A sticker on them.

As for US records -TIC BLUE LABLE demos have promotion not for sale in small writing on what looks like a stock copy. :thumbsup:DAVE K           

 

Ahhh.... I have fond memories of 'letraset' letters.......

[John Reed]

From memory on the one's i've got, but dont a lot of the rare 70's US Epic issues have some form of demo stamp or sticker on them?  I seem to remember someone saying (maybe Steve G) that they were pressed in limited quanties as some record company clients/pluggers preferred double sided releases....

Edited October 9, 2013 by John Reed